The Selection

One of the most defining factors of the society in The Selection is the presence of social castes and the ways they control the lives of the Illéan citizens. In Illéa, people are born into castes numbered one through eight, and while Ones, Twos, and Threes thrive and never have to worry about financial security, Fours, Fives, Sixes, Sevens, and Eights struggle to get by and often go hungry. The lower castes make up most of the working class, and the wealth of the upper castes is built upon the backs of the impoverished masses. Cass uses the castes of Illéa to explore the idea that a society split into factions will always lead to suffering and injustice for its lower-class citizens.

In the opening chapter of The Selection, America’s mother stresses the importance of “marrying up.” Even though the Singer family members are all Fives, she believes her daughters deserve better, and she reminds America that her older sister Kenna “got a Four” (9). America dislikes the fact that her mother refers to Kenna’s husband as a number instead of using his name, but for people like America’s mother and older brother Kota, castes are all that matter. America complains that Kota won’t be satisfied unless “he dies with a Two on his gravestone” (192), which led him to separate himself completely from his whole family in pursuit of fame and fortune. Whereas Kota is obsessed with social climbing and making a name for himself, America’s mother is more concerned about securing a comfortable future for her children. Even America, despite her disdain for the Selection, acknowledges that if one of Aspen’s younger sisters were to win, “Aspen’s whole family would be elevated” (35) to Ones. Then her mother would be content with her marriage because America would be taken care of. America differs from her family because she has no interest in rising above her station, but even she can’t ignore the way castes shape her life.

America asks Maxon if he has ever been hungry before: “Not just ready for dinner, but starving” (227), and she explains that this is a common feeling for lower-caste families. America and her family have never starved, but as Fives, “there are never any leftovers at [her] house. Someone always wants more” (230). Food is a great fixation for America, and when she comes to the palace, the abundance of food is what makes the greatest impression on her. Maxon is moved by her candor, and through America, he starts to understand the depth of the food shortage that is plaguing the people of Illéa. He announces that he has “been woken to the suffering of some of [the] lower castes, and [he] intend[s] to do something about it” (241). Maxon realizes that there has been a gross imbalance of resources among the castes, and as the future king, he wants to do his part to try to fix the inequity that is hurting the people and the country that he loves. The injustice of the caste system bears further scrutiny, but America and Maxon are willing to start the conversation around this harmful system and how it hinders the future of Illéa.

Family dynamics are complicated, and to keep a family unit together, sacrifices must be made. For the Singers, sacrifice means working together to make sure everyone can survive. America is willing to work hard to help put food on her family’s table, but after so many years of helping her family survive, America grows impatient and begins to resent these family expectations. Cass uses America and Aspen’s stories to showcase how sacrificing for family can be fulfilling, but it can also take a toll on a young person and leave them feeling like they have nothing else to give.

As a family of Fives, the Singers must band together to weather the storms of life. In a household with five children, this isn’t easy, and as the seasons change, so do the finances of the Singer household. America is willing to perform as often as she can to help make ends meet at home, but when her mother begs her to sign up for the Selection, America draws a line in the sand. She says that she can’t “sacrifice [her] dreams, no matter how much [her] family mean[s] to [her]” (5). America dreams of marrying Aspen, and to sign up for the Selection means that her future with Aspen could be jeopardized. Still, even America’s father who “didn’t want to ask this of [her] [...] [can’t] deny the benefits if [she] managed to make it in, even for a day” (9). To be Selected means to earn money for her family, and against her better judgment, America decides to go through with signing up for the Selection to help provide for her family.

Of course, Aspen influences part of this decision. Aspen has his own family to worry about, and as the oldest child and man of the house, Aspen places himself under tremendous pressure to provide for his family. America “steps up” to start earning money alongside her parents, while Aspen “steps aside” so his younger brothers and sisters can eat, even if it means that Aspen goes hungry. America remembers how Aspen “cried in [her] arms for an hour” when his younger brother was whipped for stealing food (22), because Aspen believed that “if he’d only worked harder, if he’d only done better, Jemmy wouldn’t have had to steal” (22). Aspen believes that he is failing as a big brother, and he is terrified of the thought of marrying America and not being able to provide for her as well. In Aspen’s eyes, he has nothing else to give, and as a Six, he doesn’t believe that he deserves happiness unless the people he loves are happy. Even though America and Aspen are doing everything they can for their families, their sacrifices border on inappropriate. Aspen has already lost himself in his desire to give everything he can for his family, and America knows that if she isn’t careful, she will lose herself as well.